Now that spring has sprung, I have more energy and more drive to make food and maintain this blog. I'd like to take Gwen in the Kitchen in a new direction. Instead of writing about food all willy-nilly, I think it would be better if I concentrated the more specific theme of food from scratch.
Vaughn and I have been reading about homesteading, permaculture, DIY food and can't wait until we can buy a house and tear up all the grass! That's pretty far off, so in the meantime, we have been researching how to grow, preserve, and cook/bake/ferment the foods we love.
In a previous post, I talked about the two 4'x8' plots that we are renting at our brand spankin' new community garden. I started seeds weeks ago - they are thriving and can't wait to get their roots into the soil! Today was the big build day for the community garden - volunteers from the community came out and built raised beds and filled them full of super rich compost and soil. Soon, all of the beds will be completed and the planting will begin!!
One plot is reserved for preserving, so I will be honing my canning/pickling/freezing/drying skills. Also, I will be giving a workshop on food preservation later in the season for any of the gardeners who wish to learn how to make their harvest last through the year.
In addition, I'm learning how to make food from scratch. For instance - bread, granola, yogurt, butter, and cheese - which are among the most consumed items in our household. Also, more cooking with dried beans, grains other than rice, making my own flour and other pantry staples like bread crumbs, crackers, pasta, etc.
In other words, I'll use the blog to share my experiences, challenges, and share more information, recipes, and tips relating to the above mentioned topics. Hope you enjoy!
I have a question:
ReplyDeleteAre you finding it expensive to be doing this? Or are you some how saving money? I'd love to eat this way too, but I'm going to be crazy broke very soon....
Surprisingly, no! Making food from scratch cuts out hidden costs, like additives, packaging, shipping, convenience, etc. It takes more time and effort, but it will get easier once you perfect the recipes and get into the rhythm of baking bread and making other staples each week.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for growing your own food, more time and effort, but costs far less. A packet of organic tomato seeds costs about the same as a pound of organic tomatoes...but a small patch of the plants can provide you with enough tomatoes for the year if used fresh, canned and frozen!